Access Type
Open Access Dissertation
Date of Award
January 2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Biological Sciences
First Advisor
Penelope I. Higgs
Abstract
Environmental microorganisms have evolved a variety of strategies to survive fluctuations in environmental conditions, including the production of biofilms and differentiation into spores. Myxococcus xanthus are ubiquitous soil bacteria that produce starvation-induced multicellular fruiting bodies filled with environmentally resistant spores (a specialized biofilm). Isolated spores have been shown to be more resistant than vegetative cells to heat, ultraviolet radiation, and desiccation. The evolutionary advantage of producing spores inside of fruiting bodies is not clear. Here, we examine a hypothesis that the fruiting body provides additional protection from environmental insults. We developed a high-throughput method to compare the recovery (outgrowth) of distinct cell types (vegetative cells, free spores, and spores within intact fruiting bodies) after exposure to ultraviolet radiation or desiccation. Our data indicate that haystack-shaped fruiting bodies protect spores from extended UV radiation but do not provide additional protection from desiccation. Perturbation of fruiting body morphology strongly impedes recovery from both UV exposure and desiccation. These results hint that the distinctive fruiting bodies produced by different myxobacterial species may have evolved to optimize their persistence in distinct ecological niches.
Recommended Citation
Lall, Dave, "The Role Of Fruiting Bodies In Protecting A Community Of Myxococcus Xanthus Spores From The Environment" (2025). Wayne State University Dissertations. 4162.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/4162
Included in
Biology Commons, Microbiology Commons, Molecular Biology Commons